Panorama of Chaderghat, from Black Rock, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Panoramic view in two parts of the racecourse at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This is from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Hyderabad was founded beside the River Musi in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r.1580-1612) as an alternative to his capital at Golconda. The town was laid out in a grid pattern with two main roads running east to west and north to south. The Char Minar, or Four Towers, built in 1591, sits at the intersection of these two roads. 

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Tombs at Golconda, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of Muhammad Qutb Shah's tomb, Golconda, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Golconda was capital of the Qutb Shah dynasty, founded in 1512 by Quli Shah. Nearly all the members of the dynasty were buried in the complex of royal tombs at Golconda. Each of the tombs in this dynastic necropolis are built in the same tradition as those in Bidar. All the tombs have a square base surmounted by an onion shaped domed and surrounding by an arcade, with rich ornamental details. The tomb of Muhammad Qutb Shah (r.1612-1626) contains the remains of Chand Bibi, daughter of Ibrahim Adil Shah of Bijapur, and other descendants of the royal house. 

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Husain Sauger from railway station

Photograph with a view of the Hussain Sagar lake to the north of Hyderabad, taken by Lala Deen Dayal, c. 1890. In the 19th century era of pioneering photography mostly dominated by Europeans in India, Deen Dayal earned renown as a hugely successful Indian photographer. Born to a Jaina family in Sardhana near Meerut, he studied photography while an engineering student, and took it up professionally encouraged by mentors such as Sir Henry Daly. His technical excellence and attention to detail made him much in demand and he took official photographs of colonial events and administrators, including Lord Dufferin, Viceroy 1884-88. In 1884 he was appointed court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and founded a studio in Secunderabad which is still run by his descendents today. He specialised in portraiture and Indian views. 

Hyderabad, founded in c.1590 by the Qutb Shahi dynasty originally centred in nearby Golconda, is the capital of Andhra Pradesh and India's fifth largest metropolis. It is separated from its twin city of Secunderabad, founded by the British in the early 19th century, by the Hussain Sagar, an artificial lake. The Hussain Sagar was created in 1562 by Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah to help relieve a water shortage and named after Hussain Shah Wali, a holy man who had helped the sultan recover from an illness. It is fed by streams from the river Musi. The once immense Hussain Sagar has shrunk in size and is now a complex of parks, statuary, recreation grounds and boating clubs.

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Masonic Lodge and Picquet Tank, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Masonic Lodge buildings in Secunderabad, taken by Lala Deen Dayal, c. 1890. In the 19th century era of pioneering photography mostly dominated by Europeans in India, Deen Dayal earned renown as a hugely successful Indian photographer. Born to a Jaina family in Sardhana near Meerut, he studied photography while an engineering student, and took it up professionally encouraged by mentors such as Sir Henry Daly. His technical excellence and attention to detail made him much in demand and he took official photographs of colonial events and administrators, including Lord Dufferin, Viceroy 1884-88. In 1884 he was appointed court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and founded a studio in Secunderabad which is still run by his descendents today. He specialised in portraiture and Indian views.

Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its older twin city (founded c. 1590). The Nizam of Hyderabad, Sikander Jah, entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company in 1798, involving military and political cooperation. Under the alliance an area north of Hussain Sagar lake was to be made a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam, and thus was Secunderabad founded. The cantonment developed into a major township as its military functions and business opportunities drew large numbers of people from the surrounding rural areas.

Masonic activity in India began as far back as 1728, with the first Lodge being established in Calcutta. A Lodge was founded in Secunderabad in 1822. There are about 277 lodges in India, and the oldest building in India used as a Masonic Lodge is in Hyderabad: the Goshamal Baradari built in 1682.

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General view from Transport Karkhana, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph with a general view looking across the Secunderabad Cantonment towards Husain Sagar Tank, taken by Deen Dayal, c. 1890. In the 19th century era of pioneering photography mostly dominated by Europeans in India, Deen Dayal earned renown as a hugely successful Indian photographer. Born to a Jaina family in Sardhana near Meerut, he studied photography while an engineering student, and took it up professionally encouraged by mentors such as Sir Henry Daly. His technical excellence and attention to detail made him much in demand and he took official photographs of colonial events and administrators, including Lord Dufferin, Viceroy 1884-88. In 1884 he was appointed court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and founded a studio in Secunderabad which is still run by his descendents today. He specialised in portraiture and Indian views.

Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its older twin city (founded c. 1590), separated from it by the artificial lake called Hussain Sagar. The Nizam of Hyderabad, Sikander Jah, entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company in 1798, involving military and political cooperation. Under the alliance an area north of Hussain Sagar lake was to be made a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam, and thus was Secunderabad founded.

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Maidan from Flagstaff, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of troop tents pitched on the Maidan, Secunderabad (now in Andhra Pradesh) taken by Lala Deen Dayal, c. 1890. In the 19th century era of pioneering photography mostly dominated by Europeans in India, Deen Dayal earned renown as a hugely successful Indian photographer. Born to a Jaina family in Sardhana near Meerut, he studied photography while an engineering student, and took it up professionally encouraged by mentors such as Sir Henry Daly. His technical excellence and attention to detail made him much in demand and he took official photographs of colonial events and administrators, including Lord Dufferin, Viceroy 1884-88. In 1884 he was appointed court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and founded a studio in Secunderabad which is still run by his descendents today. He specialised in portraiture and Indian views. 

Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its older twin city (founded c. 1590). The Nizam of Hyderabad, Sikander Jah, entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company in 1798, involving military and political cooperation. Under the alliance an area north of Hussain Sagar lake was to be made a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam, and thus was Secunderabad founded. Initially it encompassed an area of four square miles and had a population of 5,000 troops plus several thousand civilians, however 60 years later it had increased to 17 square miles and the population, including the armed forces was 50,000. The town continued to develop as its military functions and business opportunities drew large numbers of people from the surrounding rural areas.

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Nautch girls, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of nautch dancers at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, taken by Hooper and Western in the 1860s, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This is one of a series of photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the 19th century, in order to gather information about the dress, customs, trade and religions of the different racial groups on the sub-continent. Images like this one were exhibited at European international exhibitions during the nineteenth century. The girls in the photograph are wearing the dancers' traditional jewelled head-dress and anklets of small bells. The reclining girl also has a jewelled sheath covering her long plait. 

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General view of Trimulgherry, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

View of Trimulgherry, Secunderabad, in Andhra Pradesh, photograped by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its twin city. The town was founded after an alliance between Hyderabad’s Nizam Sikander Jah and the British East India Company in 1798 which made an area north of Hussain Sagar lake into a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment of Secunderabad was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam. Initially it encompassed an area of four square miles and had a population of 5,000 troops, plus several thousand civilians. However, 60 years later it had increased to 17 square miles and the population, including the armed forces, had grown to 50,000. Timulgherry is one of a group of artillery cantonment situated in the area of Secunderabad.

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Trimulgherry Entrenchment, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

General view of buildings in the Trimulgherry entrenched camp near Secunderabad, photographed by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This photograph is from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its twin city. The town was founded in 1798 after an alliance between Hyderabad’s Nizam Sikander Jah and the British East India Company, which made an area north of Hussain Sagar lake into a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment of Secunderabad was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam. Initially it encompassed an area of four square miles and had a population of 5,000 troops, plus several thousand civilians. However, 60 years later it had increased to 17 square miles and the population, including the armed forces, had grown to 50,000. The town continued to develop as large numbers of people from the surrounding rural area were drawn by the work opportunities created by the military. Timulgherry is one of a group of artillery cantonment situated in the area of Secunderabad. 

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Maidan from the west, Secunderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the army grounds at Secunderabad (now in Andhra Pradesh), taken by Lala Deen Dayal. In the 19th century era of pioneering photography mostly dominated by Europeans in India, Deen Dayal earned renown as a hugely successful Indian photographer. Born to a Jaina family in Sardhana near Meerut, he studied photography while an engineering student, and took it up professionally encouraged by mentors such as Sir Henry Daly. His technical excellence and attention to detail made him much in demand and he took official photographs of colonial events and administrators, including Lord Dufferin, Viceroy 1884-88. In 1884 he was appointed court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and founded a studio in Secunderabad which is still run by his descendents today. He specialised in portraiture and Indian views. 

Secunderabad is situated in Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, its older twin city (founded c. 1590). In 1798 the Nizam of Hyderabad, Sikander Jah, entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company, involving military and political cooperation. Under the alliance an area north of Hussain Sagar lake was to be made a cantonment. Soon after the alliance was signed 5,000 British troops arrived and camped north of Hyderabad; the cantonment was laid out in 1806 and named after the Nizam, and thus was Secunderabad founded. Initially it encompassed an area of four square miles and had a population of 5,000 troops plus several thousand civilians, however 60 years later it had increased to 17 square miles and the population, including the armed forces was 50,000. The town continued to develop as its military functions and business opportunities drew large numbers of people from the surrounding rural areas.

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View of Maula Ali Hill near Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of a view of Maula Ali Hill near Hyderabad. This print was by an unknown photographer in the 1870s and is part of the Temple Collection. Maula Ali Hill is situated 6.5 km (4 miles) west of Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The Shrine of Maula Ali is located here, together with a mosque and other ancient ruins including an old fortress and a large prehistoric cemetery.

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Panorama of Chaderghat, from Black Rock, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Panoramic view in two parts of the racecourse at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This is from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Hyderabad was founded beside the River Musi in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r.1580-1612) as an alternative to his capital at Golconda. The town was laid out in a grid pattern with two main roads running east to west and north to south. The Char Minar, or Four Towers, built in 1591, sits at the intersection of these two roads. 

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Husain Sagar Tank from Saifabad, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

View of the Husain Sagar lake to the north of Hyderabad, photographed by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This is from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Husain Sagar is an artificial lake which divides the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. The lake was created in the 16th century by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah (r.1550-80) and named after Husain Shah Wali, who had helped the sultan recover from illness. It was created by enlarging an existing small stone dam across the valley. The lake supplied the townspeople with water as well as irrigating the surrounding land. 

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Falaknamar Palace, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad taken by an unknown photographer in the 1900s. The photograph is from an album containing views of various locations in India, formerly in the collection of Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum and Broome, (1850-1916), who was Commander in Chief of India between 1902 and 1909.

Falaknuma literally means Mirror of the Sky. The palace was designed in 1872 by an English architect as the private residence of a rich Muslim grandee but in 1897 was purchased for use as a guest house by the Nizam. The front facade is in Palladian style, while the rear building, the Zenana is in Indo-saracenic style. The interior is equally opulent containing a marble entrance hall with an Italian staircase and a fountain. King George V and Queen Mary stayed here in 1906 and electric lights were installed for the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1926.

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The Faluk-numa Palace, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

A view of the Falaknuma Palace, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Falaknuma Palace, literally 'Mirror of the Sky', was designed in 1872 by an English architect as the private residence of a rich Muslim grandee. In 1897 the Nizam purchased it for use as a guest house. The main part of the building is classical in style with a two storey verandah carrying a central pediment. Another smaller building to the rear, which once housed the zenana, is designed in Indo-Saracenic style. The interior is opulent with an Italianate staircase and a fountain in the marble entrance hall, lined with portraits of British Governor-Generals. The future King George V and Queen Mary stayed here in 1906. This is a distant view of the palace from an opposite hillside.

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Langar procession of Mohurram, at Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of a Muharram procession in Hyderabad, Andrea Pradesh, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This is part of the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calender and is often called the Muslim 'Month of Mourning'. It commemorates the martydom of the saint Imam Husain, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. Lavishly decorated tazivas (bamboo and paper replicas of the martyr's tomb) are carried through the streets. Mourners beat their breasts accompanied by musicians, dancers and wrestlers. Scenes are enacted of the battle at Karbala where Imam Husain was martyred in 61 AH/680 AD. Husain is the third Shi'ite Imam and is greatly revered by Shi'ites and Sunnis alike. 

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Bund, Miralum Tank, 1902-03, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Bund, Mir Alam Tank, Hyderabad, from the Macnabb Collection (Col James Henry Erskine Reid): Album of Indian views taken in c.1902-03. The Mir Alam Tank was built by French engineers and named after Mir Alam, the prime minister from 1804-1808. It shows impressive engineering with 21 arches holding over 20.7 square km (8 square miles) of water. 

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A fascinating glimpse of Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Stereographic photograph of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, taken by James Ricalton in c. 1903, from The Underwood Travel Library: Stereoscopic Views of India. Hyderabad was founded beside the River Musi in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r.1580-1612) as an alternative to his capital at Golconda. The town was laid out in a grid pattern with two main roads running east to west and north to south; the Char Minar sits at the intersection of these two roads. The Char Minar, or Four Towers, seen in the background of this view, was built in 1591 to mark the centre of the city. This ceremonial structure comprises four imposing arched portals with arcaded storeys and geometric screens above. The four corner minarets are crowned with domical finials. They contain spiral staircases opening onto triple tiers of balconies. This image is described by Ricalton in 'India Through the Stereoscope' (1907), "Two of the Nizam's state elephants have intruded athwart the street and obstructed our view...These two have just come out from the great archway on the left; they are being brought out in readiness to convey some traveler to Golconda." This is one of a series of 100 photographs, designed to be viewed through a special binocular viewer, producing a 3D effect, which were sold together with a book of descriptions and a map. Stereoscopic cameras, those with two lenses and the ability to take two photographs at the same time, were introduced in the mid 19th century.

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The Afzal Ganj Hospital, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph from the Elgin Collection: 'Autumn Tour 1895. Vol II', of the Afzal Ganj Hospital at Hyderabd, taken by Deen Dayal, 14th November 1895. Hyderabad is situated on the River Musi in Andhra Pradesh, south India. The Afzal Ganj Hospital (now Osmania General Hospital) was opened in 1866 with 30 beds and also served as a teaching institution to the students of the Hyderabad Medical School. The building was partially damaged in the unprecedented floods in the Musi River in 1908 and a new building to accommodate 500 in-patients was constructed in 1926. 

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The Grand Race Stand, Malikpett, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

View of the stand at Malakpet, photographed by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. Originally the Nizams of Hyderabad attended horse races at the Moula Ali Racecourse, known as the Hyderabad (Decca) Races, a few miles from the city. In 1886 Nizam Mir Mahbub Ali Khan had the racecourse moved to Malakpet, nearer his residence. The Nizam was a keen patron of horseracing and established the Nizam's Cup. The racing season always took place in the Monsoon season and was conducted under the auspices of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. Later a regular racecourse was constructed on land belonging to the nearby Secunderabad Cantonment. This is a view of crowds watching a race from the stands at Malakpet. 

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